Venus.me

In a burning world torn apart by destruction, two isolated teens are lured into a mysterious queer second-life platform that promises to fulfill their every desire.

Director's statement

We started the “VEENUS.ME” project back in 2020, before all the toilet paper disappeared from shops, before lockdowns and the general shut down of a reality we once knew and definitely before the western world experienced the horror of potential nuclear warfare through their mobile screens for the first time. This project was initially intended to be a contemporary dance performance/alternative musical with a nostalgic homage to queer club culture history. However as the world around us continues to change it doesn’t feel right to reminisce about the good old days when the future at hand is uncertain and fragile.

VEENUS.ME tells a story about a handful of young people looking for acceptance, a space of
self expression and a way out of the isolation that has been created by a burning world.
The second-life web platform VEENUS.ME becomes the only way for the protagonists to meet like-minded people, communicate and express their true self. Throughout the film we get to know our characters through music, choreography and spoken word as we start to
understand the depth of their motivations and why they seek this escape from their everyday life.

The subtext of the film also touches on subjects of collective rebellion against an oppressive system. “Revolution is the only solution” is also an understanding that our protagonists reach by the end of the film, realizing that sacrificing the ego and surrendering to mutual unconditional trust are the only way forward.

Screenwriter's bio

Heinrich Sepp (b.1990) is a Tallinn-based freelance artist from Estonia, with a BA degree in Film Directing. Since 2017, they have been writing and performing under the alias Helgi Saldo, focusing on intersectional topics related to the LGBTQAI+ community.

Director's bio

Carmel Köster is a choreographer and director who for the past 15 years has worked in the field of dance performance, nightlife and film. Rene Köster has been an active part of the Estonian dance and cultural scene since the age of 15 (2005) when he started teaching dance classes and became part of the creative direction behind Prodance Dance Center in Tallinn, Estonia.